I caught the last few seconds of a report on the news last night, channel 13 I think, about a little dog that was killed by an off leash pitbull at a local park. The victims owner was also bitten but is going to be ok. Animal control was able to locate the dog and take it in to custody. I think it was Burien again but I can’t find any reports online after checking the news websites. Very similar to the last attack where the dog survived, that got so much local coverage.

Did anyone else see the story or have a link to the full story? Thanks.

What I found interesting is that in this Des Moines case the dog died but it’s not as widely reported as the recent attack (coincidentally by a pitbull) of a man and dog in Shorewood where the dog was severly injured.

Factor 1: Yes, the fact that there WAS a dog attack in the first place has more to do with the fact that there was an off-leash dog than with the fact that the attacking dog was a pitbull. Please understand, though, that, in the event of a confrontation between two dogs, a pitbull, due to its superior strength, is much more LIKELY to break free of a leash than a smaller, weaker dog would be. Moreover, a pitbull, once unleashed and in the act of attacking another dog, is much harder to bring under control.

Therefore, I don’t feel great about pitbulls even when they’re on a leash.

Factor 2: The fact that a dog was killed in this attack obviously has much more to do with the fact that the attacker was a pitbull than the fact that the dog was off its leash. Yes, other dogs can kill, too. Even much smaller ones can kill. But the fact is that pitbulls are implicated in more lethal attacks than other dogs. That means something, regardless of how much some people would like to deny it.

I agree. I feel more passionately than the average citizen (as people can probably tell from my posts/comments) because I was bitten. It gets ones attention and $$$ quickly! The fact that the off leash/dogs in parks behavior is illegal, and shouldn’t be happening in the first place, just makes it more disturbing.

Just a fleeting thought…would we be having this conversation if the unleashed dog was a pug, or a jack russell terrier or a german shepherd? Is the conversation because it was unleashed and killed another dog, or because it was an unleashed Pitbull and killed another dog?

It’s probably getting more coverage because the dog was a pit bull (if it actually was…I’ve noticed that some media sources identify pit bulls about as reliably as they do AK-47s, i.e. it’s a convenient shorthand), but personally I’d be concerned if any dog actually KILLED another dog. I mean that’s pretty alarming.

Thankfully the dog in this attack is in the custody of animal control (hopefully they will put it down). The owner deserves jail time (not just fines).

As to why we’re talking about it. A small number of large dogs (specifically pittbull mixes) make up the overwelming number of attacks where a person/or animal is either killed or maimed. That is a fact.

I think as pet owners we see human characteristics where there arn’t any and its this failure that plays a role in these attacks. Owning a larger breed dog means a much greater responsibility (and liability) then a pug.

“As to why we’re talking about it. A small number of large dogs (specifically pittbull mixes) make up the overwelming number of attacks where a person/or animal is either killed or maimed. That is a fact.”

A small number of large dogs (specifically pittbull mixes.. these days) are owned by a proportionately large portion of dog owners who prefer a dog on the end of their leash that they can branish as a weapon.

unfortunately, like too many people who own guns, they are undisciplined and careless.

misuse and abuse isn’t the dog’s fault…

any more than the human victims of abuse are at fault for their abuse.

I am in favor of mandatory training and licensing for all dogs…

take a look at the statistics for all bites and you will find that small breed dog owners are no more disciplined than large breed dog owners..

Jo, you admit that the key to this problem is the fact that a potentially dangerous breed of dog (the pitbull) tends to be owned by irresponsible, aggressive people.

Good! That’s progress.

But then . . . you contradict your own argument, by proposing mandatory training for ALL dogs. As if Chihuahuas caused as many problems as pitbulls!

I think that’s just a stalling tactic to avoid taking ANY action on the problem of pitbulls.

Mandatory training for all dog owners is obviously not realistic. It’s not gonna happen, so I’m not going to waste any time on it.

However, mandatory training + breeding controls for PITBULL OWNERS is not only realistic, it is practical. Plus, it’s a great compromise. It would reduce the number of pitbull attacks, while not causing a single dog to be put down.

I honestly don’t understand some of these pro-pitbull folks. They ought to be strongly in favor of sensible breeding controls and licensing. This is the safe, dog-friendly alternative to euthanasia.

******************************

If anyone wants good data on which breeds are most often involved in fatal attacks, here’s a great place to start:

Stepping out of the ‘dangerous dog’ conversation for a minute. Just want to share info on why dog training is so important for every.single.person.and.dog.

If people had to complete dog training in order to (permanently) adopt/purchase a dog, there would far less owner surrenders to shelters/rescue groups. A large % of surrenders are due to ……wait for it….behavior! Why behavior? Because the humans did not know what their dog needed in order to be successful. The humans, usually unknowingly, caused the behavior that results in their decision to surrender their dog.

BTW, Chihuahuas are at the top of the list of surrenders for behavior issues. Plus, they tend to bite somewhat often (sorry, don’t have the stats), but because they are small and can only do limited damage, the biting is not taken very seriously.

I knew Chachi, the chihuahua who was attacked & killed last week in Des Moines. He was so old and such a good boy who didn’t deserve to die so viciously. His “daddy” John is beside himself with grief because it’s sad when we lose a faithful companion to old age, but to witness such a savage attack is tragic. Especially when there’s nothing you can do except pound on the dog to let go. Personally, I would have probably pounded on the owner next. RIP little Amigo….